House panel gives cyclists green light on new right-turn hand signal

Oct. 1, 2013

Jay Meehan signals for a right turn during a 2008 ride in Beverly Hills. Currently, Michigan law requires bicyclists to use an upturned left arm to signal a right turn. But many riders also use their right arm extended straight out to signal a right turn. The bill would allow either signal to be used for a right turn. . / Bryan Mitchell/Special to the Free Press

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Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

LANSING — On a day when the federal government shut down and the Affordable Care Act went into effect, even the most mundane business was happening in the state Capitol.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would allow bicyclists to use an additional method to signal a right turn.

It’s not a burning issue, supporters — and even the sponsor — acknowledged. There aren’t a ton of tickets being issued to cyclists who use the wrong hand signal for a turn.

But state Rep. Anthony Forlini, R-Harrison Township, said the bill is just a commonsense improvement to Michigan law that 32 other states already have adopted.

Currently, Michigan law requires bicyclists to use their left arm straight out to signal a left turn and an upturned left arm to signal a right turn. But many riders also use their right arm extended straight out to signal a right turn.

The bill would allow either signal to be used for a right turn.

“Using the left arm to signal a right turn just isn’t intuitive. Some drivers interpret it as a friendly gesture, like a wave,” said John Lindenmayer of the League of Michigan Bicyclists. “It’s easier to teach bicyclists, especially kids, to simply point to the direction you want to go.”

Sgt. Dwayne Gill, the Michigan State Police legislative liaison, said anything that increases biker safety is OK by the force.

What he did have a problem with, however, was another bill discussed by the committee that would allow those on bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds and three-wheeled vehicles to run a red light, once traffic has cleared, if the light has a traffic sensor that doesn’t register the weight of the smaller vehicle.

“It’s giving the green light to run a red light for those types of vehicles,” Gill said. “A driver in a car may see that and want to go through a red light, too. It sets up a very dangerous situation and a dangerous precedent.”

But riders were universally in support of the bill, which would solve a problem that has frustrated them for years: being forced to wait at a light that won’t change because it doesn’t sense the light weight of the bike.

“This gives cyclists the ability to move through a malfunctioning stoplight,” said Nancy Krupiarz, executive director of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

The traffic light bill is expected to be voted on next week. The hand signal bill now moves to the full House for consideration.